Amazon Author Central

In today’s competitive book market, authors need every advantage to get their books in front of readers. In my opinion, not enough authors are really utilizing Amazon Author Central to its maximum benefit, so let’s dive in and talk all about that.

What is Amazon Author Central?

Amazon Author Central is a free service from Amazon that lets authors create their very own page on the platform. Imagine it as your author homepage where fans can learn all about you, browse your books, and follow you. Claiming your author central profile goes along with my philosophy that if Amazon offers you any free space at all on their website, you should enthusiastically accept and fill in every available space.

Why Would I Use Author Central?

Your Author Central page is your professional face on Amazon. At this time, you can add a detailed bio and a photo of yourself and “claim” all the books that you’ve written. This helps create a cohesive and polished image that builds trust with your readers and is linked from all of your books’ listing page.

What am I talking about? Here’s an example. This is the listing for “Reminders of Him,” a Colleen Hoover novel.  I’ve circled Colleen’s name on the listing.


Clicking on her name takes you to her Author Central Page.


If you don’t set up your Amazon Author Central page, if anyone clicks on your name in your book’s listing, it basically just returns a list of search results with that author name. Not only is that a wasted opportunity to gain followers for your work, but if your name is something common like John Smith, it doesn’t help people find your other books at all.

How to Set Up and Manage Your Amazon Author Central Page: A Tutorial and A Bunch of Questions

Amazon Author Central is an essential tool for authors to manage their public profiles and enhance their book sales. Below is a comprehensive guide to setting up and managing your Author Central page, using a question-and-answer format to address common queries.

Here’s a great video by Paul Marles that walks you through the most recent updates to the Author Central interface

 

I see a “Follow” button. Does that mean I can see who is following me?

That would be so nice, but no. Amazon is giving people the chance to “follow” your author profile mostly to benefit themselves by gathering data on the people who like you so they can sell them similar things. They say they “might” tell people about your new books, and I’ll count that as “nice if it happens but I don’t want to depend on it.”  This is why you should always be building your own email list! Now’s the time to start!!

Here is Amazon’s official statement on “notifying” your followers.

How Can I Contact Amazon Author Central for Support?

If you need help, you can contact Amazon Author Central via:

How Do I Set Up My Amazon Author Page?

Setting up your Author Page is straightforward:

  1. Log in to Author Central.
  2. Click on “Author Page” and select “Add Author Page.”
  3. Fill in your bio, upload a professional photo, and link your books.

How Do I Link My Books to My Author Page?

  1. Go to your Author Central dashboard.
  2. Select the “Books” tab.
  3. Search for your books by title or ISBN and click “Add.”

How Can I Edit My Amazon Author Profile?

To update your profile:

  1. Log in to Author Central.
  2. Navigate to the “Profile” tab.
  3. Edit your bio, photos, and books.
  4. Fill out the “recommendations” section, for your books and books you like. This is currently the only promotional opportunity within Amazon Author Central and it doesn’t seem like anyone really knows about it or is using it, so it’s worth a try!

What is My Amazon Author Page URL?

Your Author Page URL typically looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/author/[your-name] You can share this link to promote your profile and books.

How Do I Track My Book Sales?

Author Central provides sales insights:

  1. Log in and select the “Reports” tab.
  2. View real-time sales data and historical performance.

Side note:  The “Reports” section is one of the most inaccurate reporting features I have ever seen. To view real-time sales, I recommend going directly to Amazon KDP or signing up for the excellent program Publisher Rocket, which will actually send you an email notification when you make a sale!

Can I Set Up Multiple Author Pages?

Yes, you can manage multiple author profiles for different pen names under the same KDP account. Contact support if you need to add more than three profiles. You can have up to seven, but do you really need this many? I don’t think so.

Is Author Central Available in Other Countries?

Yes, Author Central is available in various regions, including:

What is the Difference Between KDP and Author Central?

  • KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing): Used for publishing and managing your books.
  • Author Central: Used for managing your public author profile and tracking book performance.

You can use your Author Central page to “claim” your KDP books. Yes, it would be super nice if this happened automatically.

How Do I Create an Author Bio?

Your bio is an opportunity to connect with readers:

  1. Go to the “Profile” tab.
  2. Write a concise, engaging bio (e.g., your background, writing style, and interests).
  3. Save your changes.
  4. Search for all of your books and add them to your profile.
  5. Complete the “recommendations” section.

How Do I Set Up an Author Page on Amazon?

If you’re starting from scratch:

  1. Create a KDP account if you don’t already have one.
  2. Visit Author Central.
  3. Follow the steps to set up your profile.

What Are Some Common Author Central FAQs?

  • Can I add reviews to my page? No, reviews are automatically pulled from your book listings.
  • Can I manage my Amazon Seller Central from Author Central? No, Seller Central and Author Central are separate platforms.

What Should I Do If My Author Page Isn’t Showing?

  • Ensure all your books are linked to your profile.
  • Contact support if issues persist.

By leveraging Author Central effectively, you can enhance your visibility, connect with readers, and boost your book sales. Always keep your author profile updated and make full use of the tools provided.